Leda
Leda is a major character featured in the tenth Dark Parables game, Goldilocks and the Fallen Star. A former carrier of the Golden Touch, Leda is the current Queen of Barsia and Olesia. She is (loosely) based on the character Goldilocks from the British fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Appearance and Personality Leda is a young woman with golden blonde hair and blue eyes. At the beginning of Goldilocks and the Fallen Star, she wore a military-style jacket and a long brown skirt over military pants and combat boots. Her hair was styled in a single long braid, and she had a long satin ribbon wrapped around each of her wrists to contain her power of Golden Touch. Later, after being crowned the new Queen of Barsia, Leda changed her attire to a shimmering golden gown and wears her hair in loose waves. She also no longer wears the ribbons as her magical power is gone and a gold crown on her head. Leda is a headstrong young woman who sees everything through to the end for better or worse. When set on a course, she is not likely to veer from it. Her kingdom means everything to her, particularly after the loss of her loved ones. Leda has a tendency to speak her mind and can be brutally honest when the situation calls for it but she is trustworthy to those who have earned her loyalty. History Leda is the second daughter of King Waclaw and the younger sister of Princess Valla. Very little is known of her early childhood but it is implied she was close to her family. One day, however, tragedy struck; while the sisters were playing on the cliffs overlooking the lake, Valla lost her footing and fell into the cold water. Although Leda ran for help as fast as she could, Valla could not be saved. Leda was distraught at the loss of her sister and begged her father to do something to bring Valla back - he told her that even if such a thing could be done the price would be too high. In response, she prayed to the Sun Goddess, pleading for the gift of the Golden Touch so she could pay the price to bring Valla back. Moved, the Goddess blessed her as asked, but there was still no way to bring Valla back. The King hired the skilled craftsman Ewan Warwick, who was known for his life-like creations. In exchange for a large yearly payment of gold created by Leda, Ewan was tasked with creating an Automaton in Valla's likeness. He was diligent in his task and after many attempts created a 'new' Valla. This Valla was so similar to the late Princess that not even Waclaw and Leda could tell the difference. They soon grew to love the new Valla and regarded her as part of the family. Leda's gift of the golden touch, however, was beginning to become a cruel burden: she could no longer touch anything (object or person) without turning it into solid gold. She begged the Sun Goddess to take back the gift, but she could not. Before the Sun Goddess left her, she once again gifted Leda, this time with two braids from her own golden hair. She told Leda to seek out someone to weave them into Magic Ribbons that could help Leda contain her powers when worn. Leda eagerly took up the quest and began to search the world, searching for anybody who could make the magical item she required. At some point, Leda ended up in eastern France, in the very woods where the Order of the Red Riding Hood Sisters made their home. While trying to make her way through the forest, she encountered a Sister named Emma and her fiancé, Jack. Emma, seeing that Leda was lost, reached out to help. Before Leda could warn her, Emma was turned to solid gold. Leda gazed at her for a few moments before running off screaming about how she was a slave to her own curse, leaving a confused and heartbroken Jack behind. Leda eventually found what she was looking for and returned home, hands now bound in Magical Ribbons covered with sacred runes. Her wanderings, however, had cost her as her father had died in her absence and her 'sister' had been crowned Queen Valla, ruler of Barsia. Leda may have lost her throne but she comforted herself with the fact that she could once again hug her sister without fear. But it didn't last. Soon reports came in about citizens being attacked by Silver Stags, a weapon believed to be sent by the neighboring Kingdom Olesia, who Barsia considered a sworn enemy since their patron Goddesses had put up a barrier between their two kingdoms. Seeing the stags as a major threat to the safety of her people, Leda agreed to the plan proposed by Queen Valla. When she heard that the Fairytale Detective was being sent to investigate, she asked Valla how this would affect things, but the Queen told her that the Detective would not be a problem and to proceed as planned. Soon after, while out on patrol, Leda met the famous Fairytale Detective during the start of her investigation. After discouraging the Detective from proceeding, Leda made her exit, blocking her path with a golden barrier so the Detective could not follow. Later, the Detective saw her in the keep where she explained that the Artifact the Detective carried contained part of a fallen star, with which one can have any desire fulfilled. She said that the Queen will not appear without the decommissioned sentry bear up and running again. Once it was fixed, Leda joined her sister for her speech. Valla stated that they had created three Golden Bears to protect the Kingdom, but that it would not be enough. She asked that her citizens step forward to become her golden army. When a Barsian Youth stepped forward, Leda unwrapped one of her hands and reached forward. She hesitated but the Queen urged her on and so Leda took the boy's hand and turned him and everyone one in the keep (sans the Detective and Jack) into gold. She then sealed the doors. When Leda found the Detective searching her room, the Princess warned her not to overstep her authority. She then told the Detective that the citizens of Barsia would be restored once the threat was dealt with. She seemed to believe it, but the Detective was not convinced. When Leda next found the Detective in the Treasury, she lost patience and demanded to see what the Detective had found. When Leda read the note, she was horrified. The note was from Queen Valla, proving that the stag attacks were faked. Anger and ashamed that the Queen had been using her, Leda promised she'd do everything she could to assist the Detective in bringing her down. She led the Detective back to the old staircase, but the door into the cave system Valla was hiding in was locked. Once the Detective managed to open the door, she and Leda entered. Inside they found a headless automaton, and Leda confessed what the Detective already suspected; the true Valla died when she fell and the craftsman only made a machine. She suggested finding Ewan, as he might have insight as for how to bring the Automaton Queen down. After the broken automaton was repaired, it told Leda that it recognized her face, implying that Leda was introduced to the attempts at recreating her sister so she could see if they were close enough. After asking where its creator was and declaring it sensed him, the automaton bid Leda farewell and shut down for the last time. After the Detective found Ewan and released him from his cage, Leda suggested that she explore and find the Queen while she, Leda, took the Craftsman to safety. After the Detective came back to the forest's edge through a magic portal, Leda informed her that she had found a ship to get them to Olesia but advised that they needed to examine the tales of Bulvar the Merchant if they were to find a way to break through the barrier. The Detective eventually found Bulvar's notes which stated that the Ancient Dagger they needed was buried in King Boris the Wise's grave. Although Leda considered disturbing Boris' resting place as next to sacrilege, she agreed that it was their best chance. When the Detective came back to the ship with the Dagger she was confronted by Jack who ordered her to hand it over. Leda, in no mood for delays, turned him to gold. Taking control of the ship, Leda called on the powers of Moon and Sun and cut through the barrier to Olesia. Once they reached the sanctuary, Leda came face to face with the automaton now completely stripped of its Valla outer appearance. Leda refused the automaton's order to bring her the artifact and stand by her side while she made history instead of as Leda gave a slight touch that began to turn her to gold. The automaton, enraged at Leda's defiance, released a blast of energy that threw Leda back and battled the Detective who shut her down with Ewan's trinket. With the Valla automaton destroyed, Leda joined the fallen star together and wished that she no longer had the Golden Touch and that all those she turned to gold would be returned to normal. Not long after, Leda has crowned the new Queen of Barsia. As she sat in her new throne, the Barsian youth she had turned to gold earlier entered the throne room. As she rose, Leda approached him and the boy embraced her around the waist. At first, surprised by the hug, Leda quickly relaxed and smiled as her new subjects cheered for her. While celebrating her ascension to the throne, Leda was informed by the sentry that a mysterious ship with black sails had been spotted. Alarmed, Leda informed the sentry that she would stay and guard the castle while the Detective investigated the ship. It turned out to be Jack's ship where Emma lay in her casket, still a golden statue from Leda's accidental touch. When Jack revealed he had come to Barsia to seek out the Golden Child who lived in Barsia, Leda was astonished. Although she sympathized with Jack's plight, she nevertheless insisted that Jack couldn't keep intruding and that it was up to the Detective to resolve the case. For reasons not fully explained, Leda was made Queen of Olesia as well as Barsia - perhaps in an agreement for a permanent peace between the two kingdoms. Not long after, she sent a gift to Prince Gwyn and Gerda for their wedding: a ball of explosives made from the finest gunpowder. Enclosed with her gift was a note that said she hoped their marriage would be long and prosperous, but also to keep loved ones clear when the ball exploded. Powers and Abilities * Golden Touch (formerly): Leda has the gifted the ability to turn anything she touched into gold by the Sun Goddess. She eventually chose to have her gift removed by wishing on the fallen star. Relationships * King Waclaw (father, deceased) * Princess Valla (elder sister, deceased) * Queen Valla ("sister", destroyed) * Sun Goddess (patron goddess) * Sentry (loyal assistant) * Fairytale Detective (ally) * Emma (unfortunate victim, freed) * King Boris (ancestor, deceased) * Ewan the Craftsman (friend?) * Barsian Youth (victim, freed) * Rach Neumann (victim, freed) Relevant Parables Magic Ribbons (from Goldilocks and the Fallen Star) Once upon a time, there was a Princess named Leda, who was blessed by the Sun Goddess with the gift of golden touch. But what was granted as a gift became a curse to the young Princess, as she couldn't touch a thing without turning it to solid gold. She cried a sea of tears, praying to her Goddess once more to help her get rid of the gift. "What is granted cannot be taken back that easily," the Sun Goddess said. "But, fret not, because for I hear your plea." Then the Goddess took two hairs from her golden braid and said, "Take this, my child, and look for a master craftsman who can use them as a weft to craft two magic ribbons to help contain your power." The young Princess traveled the world, searching for such a master weaver. One day, in a faraway land, she found a craftsman able to weave the ribbons. Her wandering had cost her the crown, but granted her the opportunity to hug her loved ones once again without a fear of turning them to gold. Crowning of Queen Valla (from Goldilocks and the Fallen Star) Craftsman Ewan was hired to make an automaton in the image of King Waclaw's late daughter. He made it so like Princess Valla that no one could see the difference, not even her father and sister, who soon learned to love new Valla. King Waclaw decided to hide Princess Valla's death, pretending her accident had no lasting harm. No one knew the truth about Princess Valla except him, Ewan and Princess Leda. Still, as the King knew the truth, he wanted his younger daughter, Leda, to succeed him. She grew to be a strong and wise leader. But, as the time passed, Leda became obsessed with finding a cure for her golden touch, so she traveled the world searching for one, rarely coming home to Barsia. That's how it happened that when Waclaw died, only Valla was in Barsia, while Leda was missing, her whereabouts unknown. Barsia needed a Queen, and the late King's advisors, not knowing Valla's true nature, did what they thought was the best and proclaimed her the Queen. Trivia * Leda's name comes from the Greek myth of Leda and the Swan. * The name Leda is Greek for "happy". This could parallel Leda finding happiness with her ability to touch without fear of turning anything into gold. Quotes Quotes by Leda * "I'm looking for the silver stags that have been terrorizing my people." * "This is not a safe place... I'd advise you to leave." * "Perhaps fate has a role for you in all this. I suppose that remains to be seen..." * "I see you ignored my advice. That's too bad." * "Impressive! Your persistence is commendable." * "Be careful not to overstep your authority, Detective." * "The power of the star will make it right, once we deal with the Olesian threat." * "I'm so ashamed. I'll do everything I can to help put a stop to this!" * "Valla died when she fell. The craftsman just made a machine." * "I call the power of Moon and Sun. I call the power of Earth and Sea. So no magic can hold me down. To open up, I command thee!" * "Please, give me the star so I can make things right." * "I could wish for my loved ones to be alive again. I could wish for godlike powers or immortality. After all the evil that befell the innocents, and all the suffering caused by my actions... I wish to no longer have this gift, and to undo the harm I did to the people of Barsia!" * "No one shall bring harm to my people." Quotes about Leda * "The princess has a golden touch!" * "Leda hasn't wasted any time. It's good to have allies like that." * "I'm glad to have Leda as my ally in the decisive battle. I truly believe she will stand by my side." Galleries Character= QoS sneak peek.png|Featured in Goldilocks and the Fallen Star teaser #1 QoS sneak peek2.png|Featured in Goldilocks and the Fallen Star teaser #2 leda-intro-cliff.jpg|On the cliff leda-close-on-cliff.jpg|Watching from above leda-leaps-to-rescue.jpg|Leaping to the rescue leda-removing-ribbon.jpg|Removing the Ribbons Leda-attacked-stag.jpg|Destroying the Silver Stag Byouth-scared-of-leda.jpg|Retying the Ribbons Leda-tells-boy-to-run.jpg|Telling the boy to run leda-fastens-ribbons.jpg|Finishing tying the Ribbons gold-beta-shrine-leda.jpg|At the Shrine gold-beta-leda-1.jpg|Talking to the Fairytale Detective gfs-leda-large.jpg|Showing the Detective the Magic Ribbons gfs-leda-golden-touch.jpg|A flash of gold Gfs-entering-barsia-keep.jpg|Waiting inside the gates gfs-leda-sentry.jpg|With the Sentry gfs-leda-sentry-in-keep.jpg|Standing in the Keep leda-during-speech.jpg|Listening to Queen Valla's speech speech-bears-arise.jpg|With the Three Bears leda-profile-during-speech.jpg|In profile Leda-boy-hands-golden-touch.jpg|Reaching out Leda-turns-boy-gold.jpg|Using the Golden Touch gfs-leda-in-her-room.jpg|In our bedroom gfs-leda-in-her-room-big.jpg|Talking to Leda gfs-leda-in-treasury.jpg|In the Treasury gfs-leda-talk-treasury.jpg|Talking in the Treasury gfs-leda-stairway.jpg|On the Staircase gfs-leda-in-dungeon1.jpg|In the Ancient Dungeon gfs-leda-sad.jpg|Saddened by the truth about Valla gfs-leda-with-auto-fail.jpg|With the Broken Automaton gfs-leda-talks-to-auto-fail.jpg|Talking to the Broken Automaton gfs-leda-ewan-dialog.jpg|Leda and Sir Ewan gfs-leda-lakeside.jpg|At the Lakeside gfs-leda-talk-lakeside.jpg|Chatting at the Lakeside Gfs-leda-ewan-bulvars-house.jpg|Searching Bulvar's House gfs-leda-ewan-talk.jpg|Leda and Ewan in Bulvar's House leda-takes-no-crap.jpg|Ain't taking Jack's nonsense gfs-leda-at-helm.jpg|At the ship's helm gfs-leda-in-sanctuary-hall.jpg|In Sanctuary Hall gfs-showdown-in-sanctuary.jpg|Facing our sister gfs-valla-turning-gold.jpg|Turning Valla to gold gfs-leda-with-half-of-star.jpg|With half of the Star leda-decision-star.jpg|Making a decision Fallen-star-xclose.jpg|Joining the Star halves Leda-uses-the-star.jpg|Making a wish goldilocks-bare-hand.jpg|Leda's Unwrapped Hand Queen-leda-ending.jpg|Queen Leda Leda-greets-the-boy.jpg|Greeting the Boy Leda-boy-surprise-hug.jpg|Surprised by a Hug Leda-brave-hug.jpg|Hugging the Barsian Youth Queen-leda-throne.jpg|Leda and Her Throne TGS Queen Leda Is Informed.jpg|Talking to the Sentry TGS Leda And Jack.jpg|With Jack |-|Depictions= gfs-goldilocks-figure.jpg|Goldilocks Carving, Goldilocks and the Fallen Star gfs-puppet-show-sign.jpg|Goldilocks and the Three Bears Puppet Show Sign, Goldilocks and the Fallen Star goldilocks-puppet-woods.jpg|Goldilocks Puppet in the Woods, Goldilocks and the Fallen Star goldilocks-puppet-house.jpg|Goldilocks Puppet Finds the House, Goldilocks and the Fallen Star goldilocks-puppet-stars.jpg|Goldilocks Puppet and Stars goldilocks-puppet-in-bed.jpg|Goldilocks Puppet in Baby Bear's Bed leda-valla-on-cliffs.jpg|Leda and Valla on the Cliffs leda-valla-playing.jpg|Leda and Valla Playing leda-running-after-valla.jpg|Leda Running After Valla leda-and-her-father.jpg|Leda and Her Father Leda-prays-to-sun-goddess.jpg|Leda Summoning the Sun Goddess gfs-sisters-locket.jpg|Leda and Valla on Sisters Locket |-|Locations= gfs-leda-bedroom.jpg|Leda's Bed Chamber Leda-throne-room.jpg|Leda's Throne Room |-|Artifacts= gfs-note-to-valla.jpg|Leda's Childhood Note to Valla gfs-leda-journal.jpg|Leda's Journal Gfs-leda-journal-open.jpg|Leda's Journal (Open) gfs-king-letter-to-leda.jpg|King Waclaw's Letter to Leda gfs-lock-on-leda-chest.jpg|Bear Lock on Leda's Chest gfs-leda-personal-chest.jpg|Leda's Personal Chest gfs-valla-nest-note.jpg|Note to Leda from Valla TT&TTB_Leda's_Wedding_Gift.jpg|Leda's Wedding Gift to Gwyn and Gerda TT&TTB_Leda's_Wedding_Gift_Message.jpg|Leda's Wedding Gift Message to Gwyn and Gerda |-|Game Promos= Dp10.jpg|Leda on DP10 Banner Db95b649-0849-489c-80f8-7ac5624cc21b.jpg|DP10 Promo Image from Eipix Newsletter Dark parables carousel.jpg|BFG Promo Gold-video-thumb.jpg|Trailer Thumbnail leda-landing.jpg|Image from Eipix's Website Gold-cab-banner.jpg|Cabana Games CE Banner Gold-abso-icon.jpg|Absolutist Icon dark-parables-goldilocks-and-fallen-star-ce_feature.jpg|Leda in Collector's Edition Icon 12376260 10153914606578729 4817100793459932821 n.png Goldilocks-upsell-eipix.png Dp10-eipix-footer.png Icon 264.png |-|Other Images= gold-beta-loading.jpg|Leda on Loading Screen gold-beta-continue.jpg|Leda on Continue Screen gold-beta-main.jpg|Leda on Main Menu (Beta) leda-difficulty.jpg|Leda on the Difficulty Menu leda-dialog-charm.jpg|Leda's Dialog Charm Gold-magic-ribbons.jpg|Leda and Her Magic Ribbons on Parable Image Category:A to Z Category:Characters Category:Females Category:Humans Category:Allies Category:Royalty Category:Princesses Category:Queens Category:Barsia Royal Family Category:Goldilocks and the Fallen Star Category:The Golden Slumber